The National Housing Federation has warmly welcomed the publication of the draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) for consultation.

Last December, planning minister Greg Clark MP announced a review of planning policy, designed to consolidate all policy statements, circulars and related documents into a single, 50-page NPPF.

In response to the draft NPPF, David Orr, chief executive of the National Housing Federation, said: "We congratulate Government on the draft NPPF. It's a hugely significant milestone in delivering a reformed planning system that better supports 'good growth' to create jobs and meet housing need.

"There is much to welcome, including the priority put on meeting of housing need and demand. Underpinned by a robust presumption in favour of sustainable development, this can help achieve a long overdue step-change in building more affordable and market homes.

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"Housing associations and government are jointly committed to delivering 170,000 new affordable homes over the next four years. The NPPF will greatly contribute to enabling this challenging goal to be met.

"We are particularly pleased that there is greater emphasis on on-site delivery of affordable homes in private developments than in the practitioners' draft. Successful and sustainable communities are not segregated by wealth or type of housing. In promoting sustainable development, the new planning system should therefore support the delivery of new affordable homes in mixed communities.

"Also, to ensure the presumption in favour of sustainable development forms the foundation on which all future plans are based, we believe it should be incorporated in to the Government’s Localism Bill. As a matter of law, policy can always be given limited weight in a way that a statutory duty cannot.

"We look forward to continuing our dialogue with the Department for Communities and Local Government to ensure the final NPPF effectively supports the delivery of much-needed affordable and specialist and supported homes."

(CD/GK)